No Tools Left in the Van: Plumbers and Heating Engineers reporting huge rise in tool thefts from vans and building sites.

Plumber incomes have been seriously damaged this year by the tool thefts from vans and job sites this year. 27% of Plumbers are reporting the loss of tools which damaged their ability to earn a living.

The research carried out by Warm.co.uk suggests that thefts are on the rise.  The Plumbers are fully aware of the damage to their livelihoods from the tool thefts.

The research indicated that tool boxes were the most stolen item. In addition, power tools and ladders appeared on the list. For Plumbers the toolboxes in particular are their livelihoods and the theft is having a huge impact on their ability to earn a living as a result.

Matt from Birmingham: “I empty the van every night of my expensive tools, but my toolbox is a pain to move.  All my friends have had things taken, so I won’t risk leaving everything.  

Recent research has suggested tool theft in the UK costs £94million per annum, a figure which promoted the survey. 562 Plumbers were polled by Warm.co.uk and asked if they were the subject of theft this year. The result was that 27% said they had.

Most common tools stolen in the Warm.co.uk survey were:

• Tool boxes
• Power tools
• Ladders

In addition, TV celebrities aren’t beyond the criminals reach either.  A noteworthy example being DIY SOS who were targeted in July and lost £4,000 in tools from a van in West Bromwich. A BBC spokesman at the time had said the whole thing took “10 or 20 seconds”.

Engineer from Bradford, Andrew: “A portable rock crusher machine was taken from the building site over the road. This machine is the size of 2 static caravans, weighs 30 tonnes. No one saw a thing – it’s amazing how they get away with it!”

Our Advice

The advice from Warm.co.uk is simple, ”Keep all tools close and if possible do not leave in your van unattended. Thieves have a good chance of getting into any van, so either deadbolt all doors, or remove all valuables before leaving it anywhere.

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Most modern professional men will not attempt DIY work, especially when it comes to plumbing or electrics.

A Warm.co.uk survey found that a staggering 67% of men aged 18 – 25 would not even attempt DIY to do the job. This is especially likely if they consider the jobs to be dangerous. As a result they are more likely to call in professionals to provide things like plumbing and electrical services.

Jobs such as changing a plug, replacing a lightbulb or drilling a hole can prove risky. When asked “Would you put up a shelf” only 45% said they would attempt it.

The survey asked 2,311 customers aged between 18-25 found whether they would attempt DIY. It seems it depends what you do for a living. People working in manual jobs seem to have the ability and skill to tackle jobs. Young professionals working in less hands-on jobs aren’t likely to risk it. With more people now doing creative and digital jobs than ever before, it is no surprise that the numbers attempting to do jobs is falling.

Ladies fared much better with 45% suggesting they’d at least give a DIY job a try. Again this points to a social change as more women try their hand at fixing problems. In fact there are more single women households in the UK than ever before. As a result it is no surprise that more and more of them are trying to fix problems themselves.

Lack of DIY skills?

Jonathan Ratcliffe from Warm.co.uk comments: “The survey shows that modern professional men do not have the skills needed to handle tricky work such as electrics or plumbing.

The overall impression is that rather than risk it, they’d ask a friend or family member before trying to sort a problem themselves.”

Mark from Yorkshire said “after putting up a picture and hammering through a plastic water pipe, it’s put me right off attempting anything more complex than changing a light bulb. It cost me hundreds to sort out, and I’m guessing paying first of all would be miles cheaper.”

Ratcliffe comments “Maybe we need more training in schools? Lessons such as DIY would have lots of uses for everyone.”

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“Plumbing is a profession that is struggling when it comes to attracting and training new workers. Kids just aren’t interested in plumbing.”

The UK is in danger of running so low on plumbers that the country faces the biggest crisis in 20 years, say heating and boiler specialists Warm.co.uk.

Warm.co.uk say the government needs to act now. The consequences for consumers and businesses in the UK could be very serious if they don’t..

Unless we train more plumbers, say Warm.co.uk, we could face a future where emergency call-outs could take 3 weeks in large cities, putting health and businesses in danger.

Spokesperson Jonathan Ratcliffe from Warm.co.uk said: “Plumbing is a profession that is neglected when it comes to attracting and training new workers. Kids just aren’t that interested in plumbing.”

“Unless we urgently address this problem, we’re looking at a crisis. With far too few plumbers to meet the demands of growing domestic and business areas around the UK.

“It’s not too late to address this, but the solution needs to be drastic, immediate, and preferably government-led.

“If we don’t do anything about this problem, we’re going to see terrible waiting times even for emergency work.  As well as hugely inflated prices for those who have the money. Leaving those who don’t in an even worse situation.”

Taking Measures to Recruit Plumbers

Warm.co.uk recommend measures that could ensure we have enough plumbers to avoid the problems a crisis could cause.

This includes offering incentives for students to go straight into apprenticeships/training for the profession. This could mean they can begin working very soon after education.

Plumbing business owner Stephen, 43, welcomed the call from Warm.co.uk, saying: “I’m the only plumbing business serving quite a large area.” We do what we can but there are always more jobs to do than there are hours in the day.

“You might think we’d be happy with that and annoyed if lots of  people started working as plumbers, but that’s just not true. We struggle to recruit. I hate letting people down by not being able to come out sooner.  I’d ideally like to expand business by employing more people. There are three of us at the moment and I can’t find anyone else even though the workload is growing.”

The average salary for plumbers in the UK is upwards of £23,000. This could rise to over £37,000 depending on experience and location. Warm.co.uk hope that the Government can use this relatively high wage to entice young people into the profession.  Otherwise the cost to the UK will be far, far higher.

Fuel poverty and rising cost of living mean many only heat their homes three months per year, if that.

Britain’s pensioners are turning off their domestic heating for as much as nine months every year as uncertainty over energy prices worries many into trying to cut their outgoings. And worse, many are too proud or afraid to admit it.

Warm.co.uk has found that many older people in the UK – particularly those living alone – use their heating as sparingly as possible, scared that they may find themselves with an unmanageable bill to pay.

Warm.co.uk says, people shouldn’t be made to shiver because of the fear of choosing between food and heating – practical solutions are at hand which can help most people.

“Fuel poverty is one of the quiet tragedies of our age,” says Warm.co.uk’s Jonathan Ratcliffe, “And it’s made worse because quite often those suffering the most are too ashamed to ask for help. It really doesn’t have to be that way.”

Why do people go without heating?

Loss of personal dignity is just one of the many reasons older people keep quiet about the fact that they might only heat their homes for as little as three months of the year, and even them some might only heat a single room.

• Warm.co.uk’s own findings reflect the wide-scale surveying carried out by the Age UK charity, which found that six out of ten elderly households ration their heating during the winter.

• The same survey also found that 42% of households would sacrifice part of their food budget to stay warm.

“We can’t argue with Age UK’s figures,” says Ratcliffe, “and our own evidence from speaking to our older clients shows how much of a problem it really is. And that’s after taking the winter fuel payment for older people into account.”

Minimising usage

Warm.co.uk found that 65% of the 200 people they spoke to of pension age switch off their heating for nine months of the year.

The same surveying found that 60% set their thermostat at below 20 degrees Celsius in order to use as little energy as possible while their heating is on.

Those willing to speak to Warm.co.uk told a familiar story.

• J, London: “I get the winter fuel payment, but it only goes so far. I’m always keeping an eye on the weather, because keeping the heating on when I don’t need it eats into my savings.”

• M, Midlands: “We had a leaflet about the council and it was all about the ‘Blitz spirit’ and putting an extra blanket on your bed. I’d rather have help with my bills and my heating working when I need it to work.”

• D, Scotland: “We’ve not been so bad this year because the winter’s been mild. But when it snows and there’s ice about, you can feel the money coming out your radiators and out through the walls. I just wish we could heat our house a bit more often.”

• W, Wales: “Since we had our flat properly insulated, our fuel bills are much more manageable. And we only did it because we swallowed our pride and asked the gas company for advice, they couldn’t have been more helpful.”

Never turn off the heat entirely

A vital tip is one that people tend not to realise; never let your home get too cold because you’ve turned the heating off altogether “It’s a false economy,” Ratcliffe says. “Keep the thermostat at a level where it only comes on when it’s needed. Houses take an awful lot of energy to heat up from scratch”.

But that’s not the end of it, he says, “Things like room thermostats mean smarter control over your heating, and that keeps our bills down and a lid on your worries about affording to keep warm.”

Most importantly of all, don’t be afraid to ask for help, Warm.co.uk’s Jonathan Ratcliffe says.

“Your well-being is much more important than your sense of pride. Speak out and you’ll lose neither.”

Couple from Outer Hebrides have a miserable start to the New Year after boiler oil theft at their home

A number of domestic boiler oil thefts in the Western Isles have led to a police investigation.

Over the New Year, a couple were left cold and miserable after their boiler oil was stolen from around the back of their property in Nunton, Benbecula, an island of the Outer Hebrides.

Alex and Margaret Macphee, both of whom are pensioners, had paid out more than £500 before the festive season, to ensure their outdoor oil tank was full in preparation for Christmas and the New Year.

However, a shameless thief came along and siphoned off the whole tank full of oil from outside their home. This left the couple, who are aged 85 and 75 respectively, cold and miserable at the start of 2017.

Cold New Years Day

When the couple’s heating suddenly went off on New Year’ Day, they thought that their boiler had broken down. They were left totally shocked to discovered somebody had come on to their land and stolen 1.1 tonnes of oil.

The couple’s son, Donald Macphee, said it was disturbing that someone had been hanging around outside his elderly parents home with the intention of stealing boiler oil. The thief would surely have known the couple needed to keep warm during the cold winter months.

The couple had a miserable start to the New Year with no hot water or heating. They believed that their boiler was to blame.

A sick neighbour also had her oil supply stolen sometime before Christmas, which left her without heating on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, a young family were targeted not far away. Again this left them without any oil for two days over the festive period.

Night time theft?

It’s believed that Mr and Mrs Macphee were targeted during the night, sometime between December 13 and New Year’s Eve.

Their son Donald, said that his parents tank was filled with up to 1200 litres of oil. They only used around 100 litres since taking delivery, meaning around 1,100 litres was stolen.

Residents in the Western Isles have been advised to “secure their oil tanks”, to prevent thieves from stealing their boiler heating oil.

Police are urging anyone with information concerning the recent oil thefts to come forward by calling 101, or you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Farming sector is turning off the central heating to cut costs, but increasingly using wood to heat their homes.

Increasing numbers of farmers are turning away from central heating in favour of both old fashioned methods and new technologies to heat their homes. One national heating and boiler company has found that the uncertain and increasing price of gas and oil fuel means that people in the farming sector are looking to the past to provide heat in the future.

According to Warm.co.uk, the good old open fire is making a comeback, as well as the kitchen stove. “Gas and fuel oil prices are unpredictable at the best of times. It’s no surprise that farmers are turning to what they do best – find solutions from the land,” says Warm.co.uk spokesperson Jonathan Ratcliffe.

Moving to alternative fuels

Speaking to dozens of farmers over the winter, Warm.co.uk found that over 70% used “alternative” fuels to heat their homes. A quarter of those said they had started to do so in the last two years. Many of these agricultural workers said that they used wood. These are usually logs from their own land or sourced locally. They burn them on an open fire or in a stove. Generally the central heating is only used for 3 months of the year. Just 15% use it for 2 months.

“It’s obvious that people are using what’s around them to bring certainty back into their lives. This can bring down their heating bills,” says Ratcliffe. “It’s what any good businessman would do to mitigate risk.”

This is a view echoed by members of the farming community who took time to speak to us.

Steve, Bristol: “Fuel costs going through the roof, it’s one of the main topics of conversation when we get together. One of my neighbours has a log-splitter, and it gets a lot of use round here in the cold months.”

Jim, Northern Ireland: “We’ve got wood coming out of our ears here, and we make use of what’s available, sell some to neighbours. Since we’ve being doing this, our domestic heating bills are reduced. Really pleased with that.”

Derek, Wolverhampton: “I’ve been a victim of fuel oil theft twice now, and it’s pushing my insurance premiums through the roof. That’s one of the reasons we’ve gone back to a wood burner. Who’s going to run off with a wood pile?”

Central heating is still important

The increased use of alternative fuel doesn’t mean they’ve turned their back entirely on modern central heating.

“People outside the industry forget that farmers are modern people too, and like their home comforts as much as the next office worker,” says Warm.co.uk’s Jonathan Ratcliffe. “So you’ll see a modern, well-serviced central heating system in many a farm house.”

In fact, Warm.co.uk find that increasing numbers of families in the farming sector are opting for a sensible and mixed approach to their domestic heating arrangements.

John, who manages a farm in the south-east of England explains: “I’ve got teenage daughters, and I’d never hear the last if it if I told them we’re only going to run the kitchen stove in winter. I think they’d actually move out. That’s why I try to keep my fuel costs down by using alternative methods. This includes burning locally-harvested wood, and also heating water through the solar sources.

“But we still need the central heating sometimes, though I find I’m ordering in fuel oil for the boiler far less than we used to. I think it keeps the girl’s happy too.”

Warm.co.uk’s Jonathan Ratcliffe: “Fuel uncertainty is the same across virtually all industrial sectors and in many homes around the country. “But it’s the farming industry that’s really using its collective knowledge to embrace practical solutions. Old is as good as new in many cases.”

The annual battle parents vs kids battle over the thermostat is over. Until September.

It’s that time of year as parents celebrate the end of the annual battle over thermostat as warm spring weather means the central heating is switched off.

One national heating installation, service and repair company has found that this domestic war is a real thing up and down the country, as dads battle to keep the heating bill down in the face of intransigent teenagers.

Warm.co.uk is pleased to report that tentative peace treaties have been agreed nationwide, but open conflict will almost certainly rear its ugly head come September as Autumn kicks in.

“People may see the fight over the thermostat as something straight out of a domestic sitcom, but it’s very real indeed,” says Warm.co.uk spokesperson Jonathan Ratcliffe.

“Every year brings new uncertainty over fuel prices, and parents – dads in particular – find it a struggle to keep the costs down when all the kids want is to enjoy some home comforts.”

Our survey says…

Warm.co.uk asked over 200 families with school-age children around the UK about their domestic battles over the central heating and found:

• Yes, there’s a battle over the central heating – 73%
• No, we all get on over the heating – 27%

Who gets the final say over the heating?

• Dad – 48%
• Mum – 41%
• Kids – 11%

“It’s fair to say that parents have the final say over the heating in most households, but that’s only after a struggle over what counts as ‘warm enough’,” says Ratcliffe.

Speaking to Warm.co.uk, family members told us about the battles going on behind Britain’s front doors:

• Dan, Woking: “Twenty degrees is warm enough for everybody. So why is it that when I get in from work, the place is like a Swedish sauna? Those kids might as well burn tenners out of my wallet.”

• Jerry, Plymouth: “I had one of those app-controlled thermostats fitted last autumn. As soon as somebody fiddles with the heating, I get an alert on my phone. Victory is mine.”

• Mary, Belfast: “My husband keeps the house at 18 degrees, and everybody suffers, even the dog. Don’t tell him, but as soon as he goes out we give it a boost.”

There are genuine concerns over the rising cost of living

“All it seems to take is for Russia to twitch and the price of gas goes up,” Ratcliffe says. “But in the words of comedian Al Murray – it’s a lot more complicated than that, but the pressure’s really on householders to keep costs down.”

The teenagers of Britain also had their say on the issue that’s dividing the nation:

• Estelle, Reading: “The place is always so freezing. You know what it’s like trying to do homework when there’s frost on the inside of the window? Turning up the heating is my human right.”

• Stephen, Bristol: “The trick is to remember to turn the heating back down when you see him come home from work. If you forget, he goes ballistic.”

• Bryony, Manchester: “Mum and dad can nag all they like, I’m turning it up to 24 degrees. Anything less should be classed as torture.”

No matter the rights and wrongs of the nationwide parents vs kids battle, it all comes down to having an efficient heating system as well as good insulation.

“You don’t have to pay through the nose for heating if you plan ahead. Switch it off in rooms you don’t use. Block drafts and keep windows closed – it’s not rocket science.”

However, like death and taxes, one thing is certain:

“September is only five months away, and the heating war will start all over again.”

A new A-rated boiler could save you up to £320* on your annual energy bills. Ready for a Quote to see how much a new boiler will cost?

The new scheme was revealed at the Plumbing & Heating Exhibition (PHEX)

The Heating & Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) launched a new ‘Retro Boiler‘ label scheme this month at the Plumbing & Heating Exhibition (PHEX) held in Chelsea.

The HHIC and boiler manufacturers from the UK attended the event. During it, installers were informed about the new scheme and supplied with ‘Retro Boiler’ labels.

As part of the new scheme, when attending properties to carry out servicing or maintenance work, registered gas engineers can issue a ‘Retro Boiler‘ label. This is basically an energy efficiency label. It shows that the appliance is not efficient.

The purpose of the new labelling scheme is to boost boiler efficiency awareness with consumers. As a result, this encourages them to opt for a brand new energy efficient model.

The ‘Retro Boiler‘ label scheme has been approved by the Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BIES), Baroness Neville-Rolfe.

“This is a fine example of the collaboration and initiative that makes the UK gas boiler market one of the largest and most valuable in the world,” said Baroness Neville-Rolfe.

Millions of inefficient appliances

According to the HHIC, there are around nine million inefficient boilers throughout the UK. The majority of these appliances are over twenty years old. Although they carry on working, they are very inefficient. This is obvious when compared to new modern boilers on the market today.

A large number of electrical products sold in the UK have an energy label. This includes freezers as well as washing machines. The labels help the consumer understand how energy efficient the product is.

Germany have operated a boiler label scheme with much success. Hence, the UK are hoping for the same results.

Simply replacing a low rated boiler with a Band A rated one, could help reduce a consumer’s gas bill by around £150 a year.

A new A-rated boiler could save you up to £320* on your annual energy bills. Ready for a Quote to see how much a new boiler will cost?